Many vehicles have elevated surfaces or platforms that must be made accessible to a user. For example, emergency response type vehicles, such as firefighting vehicles, typically have an elevated platform for supporting firefighting equipment. As can be appreciated, the firefighters must be able to quickly and efficiently access the elevated platform. Similarly, cargo trucks, such as box trucks and semi-trucks pulling a trailer, have an elevated platform for supporting cargo. A user of such a truck must have access to and from the elevated platform in order to load and unload the truck.
The use of step assemblies to provide access to an elevated surface of a vehicle is generally known. It is further known to provide a step assembly that is mounted to the tailgate of generally light-weight trucks to provide access to the bed of the truck. A problem encountered with larger vehicles having tailgates, or other auxiliary platforms, is that the tailgates are often heavy and difficult for a single user to move. If a step assembly were to be coupled to such a tailgate, the increased weight of the step assembly may make the tailgate even more difficult to move. In addition, auxiliary platforms of larger vehicles are often higher than those of smaller vehicles. As such, it may be more difficult to lift or otherwise move a step assembly on a larger vehicle than on a smaller vehicle.
It is also known to provide a step assembly that is supported by the ground when the step assembly is in a use position. In several vehicular applications, users are commonly confronted with having to access an elevated platform of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned on an uneven surface or softened ground. Deployment or use of a step assembly supported by the ground may be complicated because of such conditions.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a step assembly that is suitable for use with larger vehicles, such as emergency response vehicles. It would further be desirable to provide a step assembly that can be moved between a stowed position and a use position by a single user. It would also be desirable to provide a step assembly that reduces the weight that a user must support when moving the step assembly between a stowed and use position. It would further be desirable to provide a step assembly that reduces the height that a user must lift the step assembly when moving the step assembly from a use position to a stowed position. It would further be desirable to provide a step assembly that can be used effectively regardless of any irregularities in the surfaces upon which a vehicle is positioned. It would also be desirable to provide a step assembly that is not supported by the ground when in a use position.
It would be advantageous to a system or the like of a type disclosed in the present application that provides any one or more of these or other advantageous features. The present invention further relates to various features and combinations of features shown and described in the disclosed embodiments. Other ways in which the objects and features of the disclosed embodiments are accomplished will be described in the following specification or will become apparent to those skilled in that art after they have read this specification. Such other ways are deemed to fall within the scope of the disclosed embodiments if they fall within the scope of the claims which follow.